Clean energy enters Russia under the Chinese flag

“Solar power in Russia is unprofitable” – this outdated opinion is widely spread across the country. But as China started production of cheap and effective solar panels, the net cost of alternative energy is virtually equal to the conventional one. In the early September, the Chinese launched the first solar power plant Zavodskaya as of 15 MW near Astrakhan. This solar power park has become the first site out of 15, to be built in Russia by the Chinese.

The production of solar panels and construction of plants is carried out by Chinese companies located in Russia. The investment will be paid back within 5 years.

At present the share of SPP in overall Russian generation accounts for 0,05%. But the fact is that construction of SPP is not a fairy tale for ecologists any more, а turning into a considerably effective business with comparatively short PBP.

The Chinese SPP in Astrakhan occupies 26 ha. The project investment totalled 3bn RUB. The regional budget will annually receive more than 67m RUB of taxes. The annual project revenues are estimated at 600m RUB. The ecologic effect is minus 400 t of carbon dioxide annually, if compared to the coal plant. A total of 15 SPP will be built by Chinese Amur Sirius before 2020 totalling 335 MW. The plants will be launched in Bashkiria, Kalmykia, Stavropol Territory and Volgograd region.

By estimates of МEА, in 2035 China will have the overall RES capacity exceeding that of the USA, EU and Japan, all together. By 2050 a quarter of all energy will be produced by solar power plants globally.